IDENTIFICATION OF 2 DEGRADATION PRODUCTS FROM AQUEOUS DEHYDROASCORBICACID

The chemical structures of two compounds formed from an L-dehydroascor bic acid (DHA) solution were identified. They were 3,4-dihydroxy-5-met hyl-2(5H)-furanone (MW 130), brown color, and 2-furancarboxylic acid ( MW 112), colorless. The DHA solution produced a browner color under no noxidative conditions than under oxidative conditions. The former incr eased under nonoxidative conditions during storage. The latter consist s of explicit white crystals, and its aqueous solution never becomes c olored during storage. It overlapped partly with the other brown pigme nt on a column chromatogram of Toyopearl HW-40F.